Automatic signal for railroad crossings



" Jail. 26" 1926 1,570,629 L. L. FOSS ET AL AUTOMATIC SIGNAL FOR ammo/m caossxues Filed August 12. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Leland Lr Kww W m E HWIm I H mm. kwm n .7) ia arr C N ilrrf 4 gnoml'ou Q Q U R Q- Q & u

Jail. 26,1926. 1,570,629

L. FOSS El" AL AUTOMATIC smmu, FOR RAILROAD cnossINGs Filed August 12, 1925 a Sheets-Shoot 2 La ac! Lf s5 D d b.7355 C H arris h Patented Jan. 26, 1926.

UNITED s TATEs PATENT OFFICE.

LELAND L. FOSS AND DAVID L. FOSS, OF PULASKI, AND CHARLES H. PARRISH, or STATESBORO, GEORGIA.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL FOR RAILROAD CROSSINGS.

Application filed August 12, 1925.

T 0 all 717720777127 may-concern Be it known that we, LELAND L. Foss, DAVID L. Foss, and CHAnLns H. PARRIsH, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of Pulaski, in the county of Candler and State of Georgia, andst-ates boro, in the county of Bulloch and State of Georgia, have invented new and useful Automatic Signals for Railroad Crossings, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide a novel combined visible and audible danger signal for use at railroad crossings arranged to be automatically operated by a train approaching the crossing and to be automatically reset to a non-warning position when the train has passed the crossing. We attain these and other objects of our invention by the suitable apparatus, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of our invention set to warning position;

Fig. 2 is a detail top plan view of the signal actuating mechanism;

Figs. 3 and 4 are elevations of the two posts which support the signal elements; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged -detail end view of the visible signal 4 on a section through rod 3.

Like numerals indicate like parts in each of the several Views.

Referring to the accompanying drawings we provide spaced posts 1 anchored in suitable concrete bases 2 and spaced a suitable distance apart at railway crossings to support a visible danger signal 4 which is clamped on rod 3 by suitable clamp 39. Rod 3 in turn is swingably mounted on the post 1 at the proper height from the roadway to comply with State laws on the subject. The projecting end 5 of rod 3 carries an arm 6 which is operatively connected by a link 7 with the bellcrank 8. Member 8 is operatively mounted at 9 on the bracket 10. Attached to the other end of bellcrank 8 we provide a wire 12 connected to a spring 14 which in turn is fastened by a link 15 to one end of a plate 16, which plate is rigidly attached to a rotatable hollow shaft 17 which is rotatably mounted on the fixed shaft 18 which latter shaft is anchored in .the concrete base 19 and is also anchored by braces Serial No. 49,774.

22, 21 and 20 connected with the top of the shaft, as shown in Fig. 1.

Aflixed to the lower end of rotatable shaft 17, we provide a plate 23, to the opposite ends of which arms 24 are attached by pivots 25. Arms .24 have angularly shaped ends 29. y

We provide a suitable ramp 27 which is carried by the locomotive or tender and which projects laterally sufliciently so that its slanting edges 28 will engagethe ends 29 and swing the danger signal from its nor-.

mal non-warning position to its warning vertical position, as shown in Fig. 1.

e also provide a Wire 13 connected to the same end of bellcrank 8 as is wire 12. Vire 13 is connected to a spring 14 which is attached to link 15, and link 15 is attached to a plate 16 aflixed to a rotatable post 17 mounted on a fixed post 18. Post 17 carries a bottom plate 23 and operatively attached arms 24 which are operated by the ramp 27 attached to the locomotive or tender and which device functions to re-set the signal to non-warning position as the train passes Rod 3 is provided with a square collar at one end which collar is in contact with a flat spring 33 which is fastened at 35 to a bracket 34 on one of the posts, as shown in Fig. 1, whereby to retain the signal in either a vertical or horizontal position.

Mounted on or near the upper ends of posts 1, we provide a cross-rod 38 carrying a bell or gong 37. We also provide a spring bell-clapper 36 affixed to the visible si nal board 4 and positioned in approximate inement With the bell 37.

In operation the signal-actuated device shown in Fig. 2 and consisting of arms 24, plates 23, rotatable posts 17 and plates 16 are operated by the ramp 27 when a train "nears the crossing, thus pulling the wire 12 which moves bellcrank 8, link 7, arm 6 and thereby rotates horizontal rod 3, thus swinging the visible danger signal 4 from a nonvisible horizontal position to a visible vertical position and sounding the audible signal 37 When the train has passed the crossing, the ramp 27 will actuate the signal resetting mechanism on the other side of the crossing, which mechanism is of similar construction to that which is shown in Fig. 2.

It is within the contemplation of our invention to provide any suitable equivalent means for contacting with the ramp to actuate the signal, the preferred form of our invention being that shown in the drawings.

What we claim is:

1. In an automatic signal for railroad crossings, the combination of spaced posts, a cross rod extending between the posts, a bell carried by the cross rod, a visible signal board, a rod to which the said signal board is alilxed, said rod being rotatably mounted on the posts, a bell clapper affixed to the signal board and positioned to strike the bell when the. board is swung to vertical position, a resiliently controlled device for releasably holding the visible signal in either a vertical or horizontal position, an arm afiiXed to one end of the rod on which the visible signal is aflixed, a bellcrank to which said arm is linked, a trainoperated signal actuating device, and wires and springs operatively connecting the last mentioned device with the bellcrank.

2. In an automatic signal for railroad crossings, the combination of spaced posts, a cross rod extending between the posts, a bell carried by the cross rod, a visible signal board, a rod to which said signal board is afiixed, said rod being rotatably mounted on the posts, a bell clapper affixed to the signal board and positioned to strike the bell when the board is swung to vertical position, a resiliently controlled device for releasably holding the visible signal in either a vertical or a horizontal position, an arm afiixed to one end of the rod on which the visible signal is afiixed, a bellcrank to which said arm is linked, a

)lurant o'l train-o aerated si nal actuatin J b b devices, and a plurality of wires and springs operatively connecting the last mentioned device wlth the bell crank. 

